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Carlos Toraño Reserva Selecta Torpedo

Toraño’s Reserva Selecta line has been praised highly by Smoke magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and the leading European cigar magazine, European Cigar Cult Journal. In fact, last year the Cigar Cult Journal named Toraño Best Honduran Brand, and a Toraño made brand, the CAO Criollo, best Nicaraguan Brand. (As mentioned in a previous review, Toraño has factories in three countries: Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.)

Evidently Sr. Toraño is no slouch.

The Reserva Selecta cigars are made in the Danli, Honduras factory with tobacco aged from three to five years. There is a maduro version as well as this Connecticut shade natural. The binder is Indonesian, and the filler comes from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

This complex five-country blend is wrapped in cedar sleeves, banded twice, and then packaged in glass tubes. This is a very attractive cigar– If I weren’t so eager to smoke it I might try to frame it.

The wrapper is a classic example of Connecticut shade– smooth and silky with no prominent veins. The roll is firm. The pre-light draw is grassy, with a bitter taste on the tongue.

The initial taste is herbal and a little tannic, though this may be from the taste of the wrapper. Soon it becomes creamier and very very smooth. This is definitely a mild one, though it does build up to about a medium body in the final act. At about the half-way point it gets toasty and further on down it reveals nutty notes with just a hint of spice. The aftertaste is negligible.

The construction of this stick is superb. It lights up easily with a good draw and burns level straight. The light gray ash is solid and persistent. I ashed this cigar only three times.

While not huge on flavor, this is a very respectable cigar. I would recommend this to new smokers or aficionados of smooth mild cigars. Toraño has this available as a five pack gift package which would make a perfect gift for fathers, or fathers-in-law, or that godfather who has finally called upon you to do that service for him.

Don’t worry, Jerry. It’s not a camera. It’s much simpler than that: I work for the federal government!

But seriously, Famous has the 5 packs if you can’t find them locally. Also keep an eye on cigarauctioneer and cigarbid. Cbid has a fiver of the maduro churchill up right now (5:20 pm pacific) with only one bid at a measly buck.